Dubuque, IA – North Central University (NCU) Men's and Women's Cross Country headed south to Dubuque, Iowa for this year's National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) North Regional Meet hosted by Emmaus Bible College. At last season's regional, both teams took 2nd place among three teams. This year, the men finished 3rd out of 5 teams and the women would not have enough runners to qualify for a team score. Sophomore Garrett Converse qualified for the 2024 National Championship Meet with a 7th place 8k time of 29:45.3.
In the men's 8k, Garrett Converse led the team with a time of 29:45.3, taking home 7th place individually and qualifying for the NCCAA Nationals. Next up for NCU was freshman Leighton Helander with a time of 31:25.2, good for 13th place. Finishing in 17th place, freshman Colton Hagen raced to a time of 32:04.1. Crossing the finish line next for the Rams was sophomore David Bjorge at 32:29.5. Matthew Holstad and Cameron Stout finished back-to-back in 31st and 32nd with times of 35:25.5 and 36:05.0, respectively.
In the women's 5k race, Avah Kraushaar was the first to cross the finish line for the Rams in a time of 22:16.1 and 8th place overall. Sophomore Hope Naegelen ran a 27:51.1 as she placed 38th overall. The final NCU runner was Anna Russell who crossed the finish in a time of 30:46.6.
Women's 5K Individual Results:
Avah Kraushaar - 22:16.1, 8th place
Hope Naegelen - 27:51.1, 38th place
Anna Russell - 30:46.6, 51st place
*59 Total Runners
Men's 8K Individual Results:
Garrett Converse - 29:45.3, 7th place
Leighton Helander - 31:25.2, 13th place
Colton Hagen - 32:04.1, 17th place
David Bjorge - 32:29.5, 24th place
Matthew Holstad - 35:25.5, 31st place
Cameron Stout - 36:05.0, 32nd place
*48 Total Runners
Looking Ahead:
The teams cap off the season with the 2024 UMAC Cross Country Championship on Saturday, November 2nd. This year's conference meet will be held at the Winthrop Golf Club in Winthrop, MN.
All fans are encouraged to tune into the official Rams Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter (X) pages for updates on men's and women's cross country and all things NCU Athletics.
